I swore cash envelopes were a gimmick until a coworker showed me her grocery jar at lunch

Miles Palmer · 2026-10-08T10:10:02.665946+00:00

I always thought the cash envelope thing was for people who couldn't control a debit card, and I said so more than once. Then a coworker in Lexington pulled a glass jar out of her bag at lunch and said she had $140 left for groceries that week, and that was it, no card, no app. She told me she used to blow $250 a week without thinking, and now she hits $180 or less because the jar runs out and she just waits. I tried it for 3 weeks straight and saved $210 I would have swiped away on snacks and takeout. Has anyone else switched to cash for just one category instead of all of them?

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I swore cash envelopes were a gimmick until a coworker showed me her grocery jar at lunch | Budgeting Wins - The Community Guide